Page 14 of Psycho Boys

3. David Blacksburg

4. Thomas Harlow

5. Elaine Harlow

6. Gunnar

7. Rhodes Harley

8. Mitchell Cage

Killian looks at me curiously, turning down the radio. "Who are you adding?"

"That motherfucker Gunnar and the other three fucks who work for her parents. If anyone knows something, it's them."

As we drive, I start mapping scenarios in my mind—who Cali could be with, where they might take her. My heart leaps at the thought that she could be anywhere safe away from the chaos that my life has become, but I know deep down that she's in fucking hell. I know she can take care of herself, but I don't know how badly she was hurt in the accident—how vulnerable she truly was when she was taken.

“We leave her parents and our fathers for last. I want her to have first dibs on taking them out since they were on her list first,” I bark suddenly, snapping back to focus.

A chorus of affirmations echoes around the car, and the engine roars in agreement as we begin to accelerate toward our street. Minutes pass with agonizing slowness, the weight of fear and guilt like chains around my heart, dragging me deeper into despair. I focus on the sounds of the city outside the window. As we approach our house, my breath quickens with a cocktail of hope and dread, emotions colliding violently within me.

“We’re home,” Kill announces, cutting the engine as we roll up to the curb.

I brace myself against the seat, heart pounding, as I look over at my friends. “What the fuck are we doing back here?” I ask, urgency lacing my voice. “If we don’t find her... I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“Dom, wait,” Kill cautions, a protective edge in his tone. “We'll start planning inside. There's not much we can do right now.”

“Kill, I can’t fucking sit back while she’s out there." I press on, the icy grip of guilt squeezing my chest.

I can feel their eyes on me as I move visibly clumsily on my crutches, but I push through the embarrassment, fueled by an all-consuming fire for Cali. Desperation thrums through my veins as I cross the yard and make my way toward the building's front door, heart racing with every step.

Just as my hand closes around the door's handle, I take a deep breath, willing my racing heart to settle. I brace myself for whatever methodical chaos awaits inside and push through the threshold, the familiar warmth of the house enveloping me like a much-missed embrace.

“Okay, let’s get to work,” I bark, urgency saturating my voice.

The living room is littered with scattered papers, empty takeout containers, and liquor bottles—a testament to the frantic days and nights since Cali vanished. Kill, Ash, and Five trail behind me, ready to follow my lead.

As I settle onto the arm of the couch, my eyes scan the chaotic mess before us. It all feels maddeningly overwhelming, like trying to piece together a puzzle without knowing what the final image should look like.

“Let’s lay everything out—focus on what we know first,” I direct, jotting down on my makeshift notepad the key details about the people connected to Cali—names, relationships, and any sketchy connections I remember from the past, while managing to sniff a few lines of the brown powder laid out on the table in front of me.

“Okay,” Ash begins, his brows furrowing as he searches his mind for any kind of clue. “We know her parents are involved. For them, it’s not just about getting her back; it’s about finding out how deep this runs.”

“And we can’t ignore the fact that they have real motives." Five chimes in, his fingers twitching as he flips through notes.

“They want her chained back up. They can't stand the fact that she's free,” I mutter, bile rising in my throat as memoriesof their disapproving gazes flash through my mind. “Especially her mother—always making snide comments, acting like she was nothing but a nuisance.”

The room goes silent for a beat, the weight of the situation settling heavy in the air. Guilt bruises my chest anew, and despite the ache in my leg, I press on. “We need to start watching these motherfuckers." I shake the list clutched in my hand, my heart racing.

Kill nods, his jaw tight with determination. “Already ahead of you. We're better off splitting up so we can cover more ground faster."

“I want Gunnar,” I cut him off, my vision blurring from the relentless pressure that builds in my head.

“It's a good plan," Ash adds, breaking through my inner turmoil. "But we also need to approach this smart. Someone needs to go with you, Dom. You're fucking crippled, and if something pops off, you're fucked.”

“Whatever,” I snap back, irritation taking root. “What choice do I fucking have?”

“Dom,” Five interjects softly, “We can’t put anyone else at risk.” His voice hangs in the air, a gentle reminder that not every decision should be made in anger.

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